The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-12-09


inquiry sent ahead, preferring ourselves
to tell the story of the impressed powder
train and Beauregard's need Of ammu-
milton. While this was being done, others
threw few distractions on the track
When once more on board we noticed n
quickening Of speed that after our long
rest was delightful. We had been run
ming slowly since leaving Big Shanty. but
now Andrews said to his crew, Push her,
boys, push her" Wilson heaped in the
wood, and the fire, which was but moder.
ate when we lett Kingston, was soon roar
Our leaders, intention was to reach Adairs-
vile in few minutes, in order to meet
two trains there which were now overdue.
These were the through freight and the
southern passenger trains, and they would
wait for us ('Fuller's .rain'1 there. Our
terrible delay in Kingston was in every
way most unfortunate. IL there had been
no extra trains we could by this time have
been at Dalton, forty miles further up the
road, with the Oostenaula bridge burned
behind us, and, these two trains passed,
leaving no further serious obstacle to con.
tend with.
But while so anxious to reach Adairs-
ville the next station above, where there
was side track, it would never do to
leave the way open from Kingston, as the
distance is only ten miles, and if the enc
my choose to make up pursuing train at
that point, on account of suspicious
formed it might be very embarrassing.
So it seemed that we had scarcely got
under full Roadway at u tremendous rate
Of speed before the tender brakes, all that
we had on our train, were put sharply
1ntx mud ba nj,
before the train had stopped and under
the energetic leadership of Andrews were
hard at work lifting the track, the readi-
est mode of effective obstruction in our
power. We again cut the wire, and also
loaded on n large number Of ties and
other kinds of wood to be used in burning
the bridge. We were the more anxious
for abundant fuel, as the ceaseless rain,
which was now severe, would render
kindling a fire without much wood slow
and difficult No time was lost in these
operations, as but q few could work at
track lifting at once, and others were
ready for any other useful employment.
Lifting a rail seems easy enough, but it
was far from easy in practice. The rail
Is long and heavy; it is securely bolted to
other rails, and fastened with great spikes
driven into solid oak ties, which in turn
arc deeply imbedded in the ground. This
was the first place we wished to take up
a rail very quickly, and accordingly we
were far more sensible of the difficulty
than when we had abundance of leisure.
We were not excited for we believed our
selves ahead of any probable pursuit; but
to pass the two trains still before us, and
hurry to our real work Of bridge burning,
was an ardent desire. Slowly we drew
out spike after spike, battering out the
great nails as rapidly as possible with our
one iron bar. / cannot tell how many
minutes we spent, but time went by
swiftly. The large load of ties, which
were not far away, was great acquisi-
ton, and were all ON board before the
stubborn rail was half loosened.
The rail was loosened Mt the southern
end, and for perhaps twO-thirds of its
length was cleared of spikes. Eight Of
us, including our strongest men, took hold
of it., to try to pull out the remainder by
the rail itself. But they were too firmly
fixed and we were about to give up the
attempt and wait to batter out few
more, when away in the distance we
heard, family but Enthusiastically, the
whistle of a locomotive in pursuit. But
faint and far off as it was, no sound more
unwelcome ever fell on human ear. Be-
fore us, only two or three miles away,
there were two trains possibly blocking
the track; and behind us pursuing en-.
CINE, which in minute or two more
would be upon us. 1t nearly seemed as
IL our race was ended! But we did not
pause for moralizing; we lifted again and
with every particle of strength, as men
lift for life. The strong rail bent under
the terrible pressure and snapped with a
dull twangl All Of us tumbled IN con-
fused heap down the grade, but in mo.
ment were on our feet and hurrying
toward the Cur, taking our precious half
rail with as. For the time we were
savedi No matter who the pursuer was
he would be arrested by that break, and
give us time, with fuvoring fortune, to
Vnss the trains above.